Diving for cheap with Wife & Kid

Ok, so it seems that you can have a place that is either cheap OR good for
the wife and kid, Anywhere in the Caribbean that is both cheap and good for
wife & kid? Hospitals, Close to airport, little/no chance of being kidnapped
by Guerrillas.

"Lattes" <d2do2dmtakethispartout@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:QHGYc.93315$pTn.37662@news01.bloor.is.net.cab le.rogers.com...
> Ok, so it seems that you can have a place that is either cheap OR good for
> the wife and kid, Anywhere in the Caribbean that is both cheap and good
for
> wife & kid? Hospitals, Close to airport, little/no chance of being
kidnapped
> by Guerrillas.

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. There are some inexpensive accommodations with a
kitchenette that you might enjoy. The diving is still around $60 US for a
two tank, but if you book a block of dives (10) you can get it down to
around $45 US for two tanks.

There is currently no hospital in San Pedro, but it is reasonably easy to
get to the hospital in Belize City. Let's hope that isn't necessary. There
are also a couple of doctors and a clinic in San Pedro.

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 14:19:28 GMT, "Lattes"
<d2do2dmtakethispartout@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Ok, so it seems that you can have a place that is either cheap OR good for
>the wife and kid, Anywhere in the Caribbean that is both cheap and good for
>wife & kid? Hospitals, Close to airport, little/no chance of being kidnapped
>by Guerrillas.
>

Remember, cheap is usually amenity free. You can get good diving for
cheap, but don't expect much else. And cheap is a relative word. Try
Cozumel. You can find plenty of inexpensive hotels, and diving is
only moderately expensive (not cheap, like it was in the "good old
days").

What's this fixation with hospitals? You planning on getting hurt?
Be sure to take lots-o-money, since they won't be likely to accept
your insurance and sure won't just bill you.
--
dillon

When I was a kid, I thought the angel's name was Hark
and the horse's name was Bob.

> Remember, cheap is usually amenity free. You can get good diving for
> cheap, but don't expect much else. And cheap is a relative word. Try
> Cozumel. You can find plenty of inexpensive hotels, and diving is
> only moderately expensive (not cheap, like it was in the "good old
> days").

Ya, looks like Cuba is going to be the place this trip, although Roatan is
my next adventure alone!

> What's this fixation with hospitals? You planning on getting hurt?
> Be sure to take lots-o-money, since they won't be likely to accept
> your insurance and sure won't just bill you.

That is the wife more than me, wants it for the kid.

Lattes wrote:

>>What's this fixation with hospitals? You planning on getting hurt?
>>Be sure to take lots-o-money, since they won't be likely to accept
>>your insurance and sure won't just bill you.
> That is the wife more than me, wants it for the kid.

Been there, done that. Don't worry about the hospital too much.
Reasonable transportation to a hospital is good enough IMHO, but make
sure there is a pharmacy and English speaking doctor available (I've
been travelling with my diving wife and two sons, 7 months and 3 yrs
during our last trip).

My travel tips would be better suited for Europeans, though. We found La
Restinga on El Hierro, Canary Islands, an exceptionally pleasant stay
off season.


--
The suespammers.org mail server is located in California; do not send
unsolicited bulk e-mail or unsolicited commercial e-mail to my
suespammers.org address. It's my life: http://www.laitinen.org/blog/

"Lattes" wrote

> Ya, looks like Cuba is going to be the place this trip, although Roatan is
> my next adventure alone!

I'm not sure I'd consider Cuba to be safe from kidnapping by guerillas.
Then again, I'm an American. I presume you're not.

Lee

"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:

>"Lattes" wrote
>
>> Ok, so it seems that you can have a place that is either cheap OR good for
>> the wife and kid, Anywhere in the Caribbean that is both cheap and good
>for
>> wife & kid? Hospitals, Close to airport, little/no chance of being
>kidnapped
>> by Guerrillas.
>
>If you'd left hospitals off the list, there are many islands of the Bahamas
>that would fit the bill.
>
We had good care in the Bahamas. I had a filling drop out of my tooth
and the dentist was extremely reasonable and so were the antibiotics.
The whole thing was less than $70. And Bob had quick and efficient
care in Nassau when he had his heart attack.

A lot of the SSCA people have posted about how good the care was in
Georgetown, and in a lot of places you can fly out to Nassau pretty
easily and Miami isn't that far.


grandma Rosalie

"Rosalie B." wrote

> We had good care in the Bahamas. I had a filling drop out of my tooth
> and the dentist was extremely reasonable and so were the antibiotics.
> The whole thing was less than $70. And Bob had quick and efficient
> care in Nassau when he had his heart attack.

Nassau does have good medical facilities, but it's not on my list of cheap
dive destinations. Other islands, the ones more likely to be inexpensive,
tend not to have quality care. A native friend of mine died of a tooth
infection on Bimini.

> A lot of the SSCA people have posted about how good the care was in
> Georgetown, and in a lot of places you can fly out to Nassau pretty
> easily and Miami isn't that far.

If you're a US citizen, the Coast Guard will evacuate you in a medical
emergency. I'm not sure what assistance is available for citizens of other
countries. The big problem with flying out on a commercial airline is the
limited capacity, particularly during holiday periods.

Lee

"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote:

>"Rosalie B." wrote
>
>> We had good care in the Bahamas. I had a filling drop out of my tooth
>> and the dentist was extremely reasonable and so were the antibiotics.
>> The whole thing was less than $70. And Bob had quick and efficient
>> care in Nassau when he had his heart attack.
>
>Nassau does have good medical facilities, but it's not on my list of cheap
>dive destinations. Other islands, the ones more likely to be inexpensive,
>tend not to have quality care. A native friend of mine died of a tooth
>infection on Bimini.

Yes but it would be different for a tourist. For one thing, they
probably would not be on a dive vacation with an abscess or whatever.

As for cheap - I have limited experience with cheap and it would
depend on whether you meant cheap to get there, cheap to stay there,
or cheap to dive. Cheap to stay there I'd include Belize and Cozumel,
and cheap to get there would eliminate Belize
>
>> A lot of the SSCA people have posted about how good the care was in
>> Georgetown, and in a lot of places you can fly out to Nassau pretty
>> easily and Miami isn't that far.
>
>If you're a US citizen, the Coast Guard will evacuate you in a medical
>emergency. I'm not sure what assistance is available for citizens of other
>countries. The big problem with flying out on a commercial airline is the
>limited capacity, particularly during holiday periods.

We didn't use the CG although I guess we could have. We paid for the
evacuation and it was about $3800.00. It wasn't on a commercial
airline - it was a little prop plane and there was the pilot, nurse,
me and Bob (on a stretcher), and they also could have taken a doctor
if one had been needed. Plus a small amount (2 carry-on bags) of
luggage. Our citizenship didn't matter.




grandma Rosalie

"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.remove.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:oiRYc.6144$JT3.429@newsread3.news.atl.earthli nk.net...
> "Lattes" wrote
>
>> Ya, looks like Cuba is going to be the place this trip, although Roatan
>> is
>> my next adventure alone!
>
> I'm not sure I'd consider Cuba to be safe from kidnapping by guerillas.
> Then again, I'm an American. I presume you're not.
>
> Lee
>

I have travelled a lot and been all over the US and Europe and Asia and Cuba
is one of the safest places I have ever been. Not knocking the US because I
really do love travelling through the US but I feel safer in Havana (most
'dangerous' city in Cuba) than any major US city. (NY, LA, Chicago, Miami,
Detroit, Pheonix...)